By The Sampadak Express
A junior resident doctor at AIIMS Rishikesh has been booked by Uttarakhand Police over allegations of distributing sweets a day after the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people.
The FIR, filed on May 16 at the Rishikesh police station, is based on a complaint by Rajendra Pandey, president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Rishikesh unit. The complaint alleges that the doctor distributed sweets within hospital premises on April 23, claiming to celebrate Eid, thereby “hurting the sentiments of people” and “celebrating the killings of Hindus.”
Pandey further alleged that the doctor had previously made anti-India comments on social media and accused him of supporting terrorism. “There is outrage among the Hindu community due to his act,” he added.
Police registered the case under Sections 196(1)(a), 196(1)(b), and 197(1)(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertain to promoting enmity on religious grounds and making assertions prejudicial to national integration.
Senior Sub-Inspector Vinod Kumar confirmed the FIR but declined to comment on whether the doctor had been questioned. “We have registered the FIR and an investigation is underway,” he said.
The doctor, a native of West Bengal, has denied the allegations, stating that the distribution of sweets was a goodwill gesture for a belated Eid celebration requested by nursing staff.“
On the evening of April 23, while on duty in the emergency OT, some nursing officers expressed their wish to celebrate Eid. I arranged sweets and food as a gesture of unity. It is deeply distressing that this act is being misinterpreted to incite communal discord,” the doctor said.
He added that he returned home following advice from senior faculty amid rising tensions. “Now that I have learned about the police complaint, I intend to pursue legal action against those responsible for this mental harassment,” he stated.
The incident has sparked debate over communal sensitivity and the interpretation of personal gestures in the current socio-political climate.
